Starbucks Workers Union Calls for Nationwide Boycott Over Contract

Starbucks Workers United, the union representing more than 12,000 baristas, called on August 26, 2026, for a nationwide consumer boycott of the coffee chain, escalating a years-long fight for a first union contract. The union urged customers to stop spending at Starbucks until the company agrees to improved pay, hours, staffing, and workplace protections, and addresses what it describes as hundreds of labor law violations.

The boycott, dubbed "No Contract, No Coffee," marks the first time the union has taken such a step since the organizing wave began in Buffalo, New York, in 2021. Since then, more than 700 Starbucks locations across the United States have unionized, representing roughly 5 percent of the company's workforce. The union's demands include a minimum wage of $17 per hour, a revision from its earlier call for $20 per hour, along with guaranteed hours, better staffing levels, and stronger employment safeguards. Union representatives argue that rising living costs have outpaced wage increases for their members.

The call for a boycott coincided with the return of Starbucks' popular fall menu, including the pumpkin spice latte, which has generated significant revenue for...